Hidden Immunity Idol
The Hidden Immunity Idol (also known as the "Hidden Idol" or simply as "the idol") is a pocket-sized talisman, and is widely believed to be the most groundbreaking twist ever to be created on Survivor. Its purpose is to, one way or another, prevent the user from being voted out in a Tribal Council vote. The idol has influenced many of the contestants' strategies, whether they use the object, or defuse its powers. The Hidden Immunity Idol made its debut in , and in seasons containing the Exile Island twist, the idol is often hidden there. It is not to be confused with the tribal Immunity Idol or the individual Immunity Necklace, as the Hidden Immunity Idol is not won at challenges, and is flexible as the found idol is not forced to be applicable on only the following Tribal Council. However, clues to the whereabouts of the idol may exist at camp or may be given to the winners of a Reward Challenge. Overview When the idol debuted in , its purpose was to negate votes that the holder would receive at Tribal Council. Despite its potential to protect its owner in the game, it may only be used once, after which the idol will either be re-hidden or discarded. With this, owners should be careful about divulging information about possessing one and/or when to use it, because a player can still be eliminated with the idol in their possession, thus going home bringing their idol with them. Another limitation is that the idol is only valid until a given deadline (usually when 5 players are left). A player may hold more than one idol if available. Appearance Similar to the Immunity Idol and the Immunity Necklace, the Hidden Immunity Idol is usually a small, ornate talisman that is designed to match the season's theme and/or location. For example, the Hidden Immunity Idol in was a plaque-like wooden circle with the insignia of a tribe engraved on it. Other idols are designed like small necklaces or bracelets. Usually, the idol is an item based on the history or landscape of the area. Format The idols in were offered publicly at random intervals to all castaways through small mini-challenges. From onwards (with the exception of , and ), there has been one idol hidden in each of the tribe camps. The idol had to found at Exile Island in and . The idol must be used after the votes have been cast, but before the host reveals them. This mechanic makes it possible for the idol to be wasted, as a castaway must play it to someone that can be voted against, but is not guaranteed to have the most number of votes, making timing a crucial factor in playing it. A way to counter this type of idol is to force the user to waste it (i.e. if they do not have the most number of votes), a strategy several castaways call as flushing. Once the idol is used, it is usually discarded. Typically, these idols are valid up until there are only five castaways remaining in the game (including Redemption Island). If all countable votes are negated by idols, a vote restart would happen (see tiebreaker for details). Idols can only be played at the initial vote, not at any revotes. Clues To find Hidden Immunity Idols more easily, clues are provided to castaways. Several clues either are progressive (meaning the first clue will not be as helpful as the next ones because it will only lead to another clue, but the succeeding clues would lead the looker closer the actual place of the idol), or still lead to the same hiding place, albeit restructured for added confusion. As the season progresses, more clues will be provided, regardless if the idol has already been found or not. These clues can be shared with others by the finder(s)' choosing. These clues may be a cryptic message similar to Tree Mail messages or mini-challenges. Sometimes, the exact locations of where the idol could potentially be are discarded outright. Refusing the clue is allowed as to prevent a target from forming on one's back. O Over the years, there have been varying ways for how the clues have been given to the contestants: * In HEX World, clues were given directly in treemails. * From Korea onwards the idol clues were given through reward challenges or Survivor Auctions. * In Korea, an idol clue was secretly hidden in the disassembly challenge and publicly given to the tribes in the middle of a reward/immunity challenge. * In Easter Island, idol clues were handed to castaways in the game by the Redemption Island duel winner. * In Haiti, idol clues were given to all of the castaways who were sent to Exile Island. * In Myanmar, before the castaways were sent to their camps, each tribe chose a representative to make a decision when they reached their respective camps. The representative would then have to choose another representative from the tribe, who would join them in making the decision. The representatives would then have to choose either "Honesty", "Neutral", or "Deception". Choosing the first would give the tribe a lot of rice, but no idol clue for the chooser. The second would give the tribe rice, but a small idol clue. The third would have nothing for the tribe, but a big idol clue. Strategy Several strategies regarding the idol were developed by contestants. Here is a non-exhaustive list of how the idol was used over the series: There have been several instances where a person that is caught looking for the idol has become an immediate target, so it is crucial that searchers must be undetected when looking for it. Hidden Immunity Idol History Fake idols Created by the contestants, these idols have been used as a foil for players to use them under the assumption that they have been helped out by one of their tribemates. They have no value at Tribal Council, and when a fake idol is presented, Jeff Probst throws it into the fire pit stating that it is not a Hidden Immunity Idol. Contestants Making Fake idols * In , David Wright created a fake idol after coming back from the Day 35 Tribal Council, using various beads and parts he collected throughout the game in order to "fish" someone out. Jay Starrett ultimately found the idol the next day and played it at that night's Tribal Council. It was revealed to be a fake idol, and he was voted out unanimously. Trivia * Calypso Joe Italiano ( ) is the first, and so far only castaway to negate a majority of votes against them with an idol twice in a season. * TBA ( ) holds the record for most votes negated in one Tribal Council using an idol, with TBA. * is the season with the most idols found, with two. * currently holds the record for the highest number of effective idol plays, with two. * TBA( ) is the first castaway to transfer his possession of the idol to someone elsE. * TBA is the first castaway to use a Hidden Immunity Idol for nothing as he did not receive votes. * TBA ( ) is the first male to be voted out with a Hidden Immunity Idol in his possession. * TBA ( ) is the first female to be voted out with a Hidden Immunity Idol in her possession. * TBA is the first castaway to be voted out with two idols in their possession. * TBA ( ) is the first female to be voted out with a Hidden Immunity Idol in her possession. * is the first season to to have nobody play an idol. * TBA (Gabon) is the first castaway to use an idol and only receive minority votes. * Most tribes' idols were never found. * The earliest use of a Hidden Immunity Idol was on Day TBA ( ), when [TBA played it on herself. * TBA (Worlds Apart) is the first eventual Sole Survivor to use a Hidden Immunity Idol to negate a majority of votes against them in the season they won. * TBA is currently the only season with two back-to-back effective uses of a Hidden Immunity Idol. BLA BLA BLA * TBA has the record for the longest time to have possession of one specific idol without giving it away, having the TBA idol from Day 2 up to Day 35. Category:Twists Category:Gameplay Category:Objects Category:Strategy Category:Survivor: HEX World Category:Survivor: Korea Category:Survivor: Easter Island Category:Survivor: Haiti Category:Survivor: Alaska Category:Survivor: Revival